A group of friends at the University of Edinburgh came up with the idea for lighting company Tala while working a summer job together (they were installing solar panels on the roof of an eco-conscious winery in Portugal). One friend suggested that the architect specify LED lighting to add to the project’s eco-cred, but the architect balked due to a lack of good-looking options on the market. After a years-long exploration into production processes and lighting technology, the four founders launched Tala in 2015 with a line of Edison-inspired LED bulbs and the tagline, “Conservation through beauty.” Three years on, London-based Tala offers three distinct lines of designer LED bulbs, including a hand-blown stunner called Voronoi. Let’s take a look.
Photography courtesy of Tala.
Above: Tala’s most artistic LED light on offer, the Voronoi collection of tinted, hand-blown glass bulbs, is modeled after the growth pattern found in forest canopies. “We created a 3-D model of the pattern, and smoothed its edges to simulate natural erosion over time,” the designers say, resulting in an irregularly shaped bulb that’s “carved by nature.” The Voronoi I bulb shown here is five inches wide by almost seven inches tall (£80), and shown with the Oak Knuckle Pendant (£100) and Oak Touch Lamp (£120), both made of FSC-certified American oak wood. Tala’s LED bulbs last 15 times longer than a traditional incandescent bulb—15,000 to 30,000 hours on average—and use only 10 percent of the electricity. Above: Tala says its Voronoi III bulb, which is eight inches wide and 16 inches tall, is the “largest sculptural bulb ever made.” It’s shown here with the glossy Brass Pendant (£55), made of recycled brass in a brushed finish with a fabric-wrapped cord. The bulb costs £300, but the Voronoi III Bulb and Brass Pendant together cost £320. Tala has made a commitment since its founding to plant 10 trees for every 200 light bulbs sold. So far, they’ve planted 35,000 trees in the UK and 15,000 in North America.
Above: The Voronoi collection has a single spiral-shaped LED filament, designed to “mimic the Fibonacci sequence seen in pine cones and ferns.” The rounded, compact shape of the Voronoi I bulb refracts the light it emits, so the single filament appears more abstract than in the other Voronoi models; £80. You can shop Tala bulbs and fixtures at their online Store, and the bulbs are available at various retailers across the UK and US (including Rejuvenation and It’s Thyme). Above: Part of the company’s range of white ceramic bulbs, the Enno has a rounded trapezoid shape and is about five by seven inches; £80. It’s shown with the compact Graphite Pendant (£55), which has a flat, dark gray finish that Tala recommends partnering with the ceramic range. Above: Tala’s porcelain bulbs are molded using white glass, then individually mouth-blown and sandblasted for a delicate matte finish. They’re “designed to provide an antidote to an overly industrial aesthetic,” says Tala. The Porcelain II bulb shown here emits a soft white light and is 3 inches by 5.5 inches; £25. Above: The Unum 3-Watt Bulb (£29) has a traditional clear glass spherical body with a minimal filament inside. It’s paired with the Brass Pendant (£55) and Walnut Touch Lamp (£120), which is made from FSC-certified American walnut wood. Above: Tala designed a unique filament structure for the Gaia 6 Watt bulb—its modern take on a traditional, blown-glass, exposed-filament sphere. Available tinted (shown) and clear, it’s £39. Above: The Pluto 3 Watt light bulb has a traditional shape and filament pattern. Shown here in clear glass, it’s also available in gray and measures 1.5 by 4.5 inches; £13. For more Lighting inspiration and advice from across our sites, see:
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